Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Mary Jane Stewart and Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery announced this week that they reached agreements with Comprehensive Pain Specialists and its four majority owners for $4.1 million to settle all federal and state claims involving allegations of wrongdoing, Tennessee Lookout reports. Among the group of owners is former Republican state Sen. Steve Dickerson, who maintains he did nothing wrong. The company, formerly based in Brentwood, operated more than 40 pain clinics in 12 states until it closed in 2018. Federal and state prosecutors accused the owners of making false claims for medically unnecessary and/or non-reimbursable testing and acupuncture. The suit originally sought $50 million in civil damages.

The Tennessee Faith & Justice Alliance will hold a free training and discussion on the “Role of Faith-Based Communities in Addressing Sexual Assault” next Thursday at 2 p.m. CDT. The event will begin with a 30 minute training on mandatory reporting laws in Tennessee, followed by a panel of experts addressing best practices for supporting assault survivors and building safer communities. Participants include Henry County General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge Vicki Snyder; Kathryn Ellis, executive director of the Knoxville Family Justice Center; Shan Foster, executive director of AMEND Together and vice president of external affairs at the YWCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee; and Sharon Travis with the Sexual Assault Center in Nashville.

The state Senate unanimously approved a bill this week limiting the use of chokeholds by police officers, banning “no knock” warrants, requiring law enforcement officials to intervene if they observe excessive force, and mandating de-escalation training for all law enforcement. Sen. Mike Bell, R-Riceville, led the charge to pass the bill and acknowledged during the floor debate that the bill does not do away completely with choke holds. Instead, the bill prohibits chokeholds unless “an officer reasonably believes that deadly force is authorized,” he explained. The bill, SB1380/HB1406, is scheduled for consideration by the House Criminal Justice Committee next week. WKRN reports on the story.

B. Keith Faulkner has been selected to serve as the next president and dean of the Appalachian School of Law, the Bristol Herald Courier reports. Faulker joins the Grundy, Virginia, school after serving as dean of Liberty University School of Law in Lynchburg, Virginia. He previously was interim dean of Campbell University School of Law in North Carolina. Faulkner will assume his new role July 1. He succeeds Elizabeth A. McClanahan, a former Virginia Supreme Court justice who will become president of the Virginia Tech Foundation. Read more from the school.

Two bills backed by Gov. Bill Lee as part of his criminal justice reform package passed the state House yesterday with overwhelming support, the Citizen Tribune reports. HB784/SB0767 is designed to keep nonviolent offenders out of prison, especially those suffering from mental and substance abuse issues. HB785/SB0768 creates an assumption that incarcerated individuals will be released on parole when eligible and incorporates provisions for mandatory reentry supervision. Both bills have passed the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee and are awaiting floor action in that body.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee recently announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will grant his request for a major disaster declaration to help 13 counties impacted during severe winter storms in February, WSMV reports. The counties are Bedford, Cannon, Coffee, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Moore, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Scott, Shelby and Smith. The declaration means they will be able to seek reimbursement for emergency work and the repair or replacement of damaged facilities and infrastructure. The storm in mid-February brought rain, heavy snow, ice and very cold temperatures, resulted in power losses for more than 20,000 Tennesseans, and caused six fatalities.

The TBA will present Biden Your Time Until the Next Tax Bill next Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. The CLE will cover potential changes to the Tax Code that have been discussed by the Biden administration, both during and prior to the 2020 presidential campaign. The presentation will consider the ramifications such changes could have for taxpayers and their planning for income, gift and estate taxes. The program is one installment of the Tax Law CLE Series 2021, a collection of one-hour webinars that will look at current issues impacting taxpayers.

The Tennessee Justice Center (TJC) today filed a complaint challenging the Department of Health and Human Services’ approval of the TennCare III project through the end of 2030. TJC says the approval caps the amount of federal funding available for Medicaid services and allows the state to restrict coverage of prescription drugs. It also permits the State to continue some features of TennCare, including the elimination of three-months’ retroactive coverage and the requirement that beneficiaries enroll in managed care plans. TJC, alongside the National Health Law Program and King & Spalding LLP, filed on behalf of 13 Medicaid beneficiaries. Read more from TJC.

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed Lisa Monaco as deputy attorney general, the No. 2 position at the Justice Department, Reuters reports. Monaco, who was approved by a 98-2 vote, will oversee a vast portfolio encompassing criminal and national security investigations, as well as all U.S. Attorney's Offices across 94 districts. The deputy attorney general position is also instrumental in developing criminal justice policies, from sentencing to clemency. Prior to her confirmation, Monaco worked at the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers. Before that, she served a variety of roles in the Justice Department and White House.

The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to blame for a 2.6% dip in full-time legal employment for law students who graduated in 2020, Westlaw Today reports. That data was released on Tuesday by the American Bar Association’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. According to the ABA Journal, there was a small increase in hiring at large law firms, and also growth in law school-funded jobs, solo practitioner work and public interest positions. Government jobs, however, decreased by 9.9% and business and industry work fell by 8%.